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Politics and Adult Education

Politics and Adult Education UP FRONT IU Do The Business of Getting People to Let ‘ a Little of What You Want that. Whether or not we do it must The dumber ~ulled out her tools In this isue of Adult Limning we In seehg to combine eff&ively finally depend on how we feel about and link them ;p on the tile floor. ire examining the volatile and emo- the semantics of politics with instruc- the fact that we haven’t so far.” The “You know,” she said with resignation, jonal issues of politics. Many adult tion, one must consider the following question for adult educators is how do “this is the third time the school qUeSti0nS: ducators would choose to ignore these we feel about not having done as well changed this bathmom in five years. 1. Is it pible in a highly political sues, but ignoring political realities ‘Put the toilet in,’ they said. ‘Take the environment to deliver quality educa- as we can in terms of educating and :an be fatal to a program. Others ven- training adult learners? Our response toilet out. Put the toilet in. Take the toi- ure into politics only when necessary tion.and training to adults in the pub- Unll make a Merence as to how we let out.’” As the political winds had lic school setting, the workplace, the o save a program under the axe. Still changed, the school board had trans- community center, and other places approach our jobs tomorrow. A ithers recognize that political skill is fomed the building from an elemen- where instruction and training are i valuable tool to stimulate program taq school, to administrative offices, provided? -by Pat&iu Fq :rowth. to an adult education center, to a pre- 2. will the “politics of the day” inter- Nonpartisan political opportunities Litaacy Fanlitator school program and back to an adult fere too much with positive instructor- qpear to the adult educator on several Michigan Dtpartmt education program again. Politics. student interactions? evels. First, there is the obvious govern- OfEducatirm, and Put the toilet in. Take the toilet out. 3. Will adult educators place more nental level. Adult educators must Ronald M. Gillurn k the plumber began turning emphasis in the instructional pm ceep national, state, and local officials State Br& valves, she shook her head at the being “politically correct” than educa- nfomd of the services and benefits o$lce OjMUlt &t& apparent indecisivenes and waste of tionally sound? if adult education so that dollars can Lixzrnang, mum. How was it that she, who had All acm this great county citizens E allocated wisely. Other political Michigan Dtpartmt no power, was smart enough to see are demanding quality education and :hallenges occur in the wor!q~lace, Oj-MUcation these thing, and that they, who had so training for all children, youth, and :lassroom, university, and perhaps in much power, were -well, she was d1 other situations in which adult edu- adults, regardless of race, socioeco- too plite to say ‘stupid,’ but no other :ation senices are delivered. nomic status, or gender. Americans are word seemed sufficient. In this issue ofMulthmzfig, also demanding that the content of Re following membels of the Adult Many people who have been in- Phyllis Cunningham explores politics education and training be relevant, Learning Editorial bard were editors for volved in political skirrmshes have expe- UI the workplace. She challenges the appropriate, and non-biased. Citizens the artich in this issue: rienced the frustration of the plumber. have the right to expect that, upon reader with a very powerful message as Politicsthe art and science of influ- adult educators prepare workers to completion of school, work, or train- Ron Gillurn, Chair, Heikki Leskinen, and Kevin Smith. encing public policy or getting people ‘sleep with the enemy.” ing, participants will be able to partici- to let you do a little of what you want Don MacMaster explores the art of pate successfully in the world of work and to be fully functional members -is accompanied by the highat and teaching communications in the work- lowest of human values. On the nega- place, a process he compares to ”para- of society. tive side are wasted mum, decq- Ehuting into the middle of a minefield The eqxctations referend above tion, and fat-cat legislators rakmg in behind enemy lines.” Daphne Ntiri are realistic given that America boasts bushels of campaign contributions, “steps on a minefield’ as she explores excellent education and training insti- and under-the-table agreements. On teacher cedication at the university tutions and programs. We indeed have a broader scale, politics can be tied to level for adult educators. Daniel the mum, knowledge, and skills to educate and train all of our citizens. human rights violations, a variety of Wagner explores some of the common- social injustices, and even war. ly held opinions about adult literacy The question is do we have the am- On the positive side are visions of and some opportunities to make si@- mitment? Are educators, particularly political action at its super-human icant improvements in literacy. those of us in adult education, fully best: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. ded- Adult education is a fertile ground committed or as Peter Senge (1990) cahng his life to justice and equality for political action. Adult learners have puts it in his hk, 7he F@b L?&@lim: against incredible odds, a lone stu- the right to vote, adult education fund- 7he Art andB& oj-Ltarning dent standing in front of a row of ing is more susceptible to political Organiuztions (Doubleday, 19901, “Do each of us feel fully responsible for tmks in Tiananmen Square, President wh than is K-12 funding, and adult Gohachev responding to a peace letter learners have opinions that are more malung the vision happen?” stated on several occasions by the from an eleven-year-old American vahdated by life experience than do chil- girl, the collapse of the Berlin Wall, dren. Obvious dangers of mixing politi- late Ronald Edmonds, a noted educa- Mahatma Candhi changing the gov- cal action with instruction exist. The tor, ‘We can whenever we choose, suc- cessfully teach all children whose ernment of India through nonviolent instructor must guard against the dan- protest. The power of these images, ger of alienating segments of the com- schooling is of interest to us. We expressed in political arenas, touches munity that have Merent opinions. already know more than we need to do the very heart of our humanity. September/October 1993 A 5 http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Adult Learning SAGE

Politics and Adult Education

Adult Learning , Volume 5 (1): 1 – Sep 1, 1993

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Publisher
SAGE
Copyright
© 1993 American Association for Adult and Continuing Education
ISSN
1045-1595
eISSN
2162-4070
DOI
10.1177/104515959300500102
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

UP FRONT IU Do The Business of Getting People to Let ‘ a Little of What You Want that. Whether or not we do it must The dumber ~ulled out her tools In this isue of Adult Limning we In seehg to combine eff&ively finally depend on how we feel about and link them ;p on the tile floor. ire examining the volatile and emo- the semantics of politics with instruc- the fact that we haven’t so far.” The “You know,” she said with resignation, jonal issues of politics. Many adult tion, one must consider the following question for adult educators is how do “this is the third time the school qUeSti0nS: ducators would choose to ignore these we feel about not having done as well changed this bathmom in five years. 1. Is it pible in a highly political sues, but ignoring political realities ‘Put the toilet in,’ they said. ‘Take the environment to deliver quality educa- as we can in terms of educating and :an be fatal to a program. Others ven- training adult learners? Our response toilet out. Put the toilet in. Take the toi- ure into politics only when necessary tion.and training to adults in the pub- Unll make a Merence as to how we let out.’” As the political winds had lic school setting, the workplace, the o save a program under the axe. Still changed, the school board had trans- community center, and other places approach our jobs tomorrow. A ithers recognize that political skill is fomed the building from an elemen- where instruction and training are i valuable tool to stimulate program taq school, to administrative offices, provided? -by Pat&iu Fq :rowth. to an adult education center, to a pre- 2. will the “politics of the day” inter- Nonpartisan political opportunities Litaacy Fanlitator school program and back to an adult fere too much with positive instructor- qpear to the adult educator on several Michigan Dtpartmt education program again. Politics. student interactions? evels. First, there is the obvious govern- OfEducatirm, and Put the toilet in. Take the toilet out. 3. Will adult educators place more nental level. Adult educators must Ronald M. Gillurn k the plumber began turning emphasis in the instructional pm ceep national, state, and local officials State Br& valves, she shook her head at the being “politically correct” than educa- nfomd of the services and benefits o$lce OjMUlt &t& apparent indecisivenes and waste of tionally sound? if adult education so that dollars can Lixzrnang, mum. How was it that she, who had All acm this great county citizens E allocated wisely. Other political Michigan Dtpartmt no power, was smart enough to see are demanding quality education and :hallenges occur in the wor!q~lace, Oj-MUcation these thing, and that they, who had so training for all children, youth, and :lassroom, university, and perhaps in much power, were -well, she was d1 other situations in which adult edu- adults, regardless of race, socioeco- too plite to say ‘stupid,’ but no other :ation senices are delivered. nomic status, or gender. Americans are word seemed sufficient. In this issue ofMulthmzfig, also demanding that the content of Re following membels of the Adult Many people who have been in- Phyllis Cunningham explores politics education and training be relevant, Learning Editorial bard were editors for volved in political skirrmshes have expe- UI the workplace. She challenges the appropriate, and non-biased. Citizens the artich in this issue: rienced the frustration of the plumber. have the right to expect that, upon reader with a very powerful message as Politicsthe art and science of influ- adult educators prepare workers to completion of school, work, or train- Ron Gillurn, Chair, Heikki Leskinen, and Kevin Smith. encing public policy or getting people ‘sleep with the enemy.” ing, participants will be able to partici- to let you do a little of what you want Don MacMaster explores the art of pate successfully in the world of work and to be fully functional members -is accompanied by the highat and teaching communications in the work- lowest of human values. On the nega- place, a process he compares to ”para- of society. tive side are wasted mum, decq- Ehuting into the middle of a minefield The eqxctations referend above tion, and fat-cat legislators rakmg in behind enemy lines.” Daphne Ntiri are realistic given that America boasts bushels of campaign contributions, “steps on a minefield’ as she explores excellent education and training insti- and under-the-table agreements. On teacher cedication at the university tutions and programs. We indeed have a broader scale, politics can be tied to level for adult educators. Daniel the mum, knowledge, and skills to educate and train all of our citizens. human rights violations, a variety of Wagner explores some of the common- social injustices, and even war. ly held opinions about adult literacy The question is do we have the am- On the positive side are visions of and some opportunities to make si@- mitment? Are educators, particularly political action at its super-human icant improvements in literacy. those of us in adult education, fully best: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. ded- Adult education is a fertile ground committed or as Peter Senge (1990) cahng his life to justice and equality for political action. Adult learners have puts it in his hk, 7he F@b L?&@lim: against incredible odds, a lone stu- the right to vote, adult education fund- 7he Art andB& oj-Ltarning dent standing in front of a row of ing is more susceptible to political Organiuztions (Doubleday, 19901, “Do each of us feel fully responsible for tmks in Tiananmen Square, President wh than is K-12 funding, and adult Gohachev responding to a peace letter learners have opinions that are more malung the vision happen?” stated on several occasions by the from an eleven-year-old American vahdated by life experience than do chil- girl, the collapse of the Berlin Wall, dren. Obvious dangers of mixing politi- late Ronald Edmonds, a noted educa- Mahatma Candhi changing the gov- cal action with instruction exist. The tor, ‘We can whenever we choose, suc- cessfully teach all children whose ernment of India through nonviolent instructor must guard against the dan- protest. The power of these images, ger of alienating segments of the com- schooling is of interest to us. We expressed in political arenas, touches munity that have Merent opinions. already know more than we need to do the very heart of our humanity. September/October 1993 A 5

Journal

Adult LearningSAGE

Published: Sep 1, 1993

There are no references for this article.